Stop-cock wots



i li STATES SJoHN' SHERIEF, for 'PrrfrszBurton, PENNSYLVANIA.

STOP-oook :non fior WATER,y ac.-

' Lspecieation.f f.1ettersfratent No. @cs2-,1 dated jaanuaryiie, 1849.y

To `all'whom t may concern Be it known that I, JOHN SHERIFF, of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in 'Cocks for Drawing Off and Stopping Water and other Fluids at High Temperatures, of which the following is a full and exact description, reference being had to the annexed drawings of the same, making part of this specification, in which, n n

Figure l is a perspective elevation of the cock viewed on the side, Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the same, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the wooden stopper, Fig. 4 is a view of the annular wooden packing for the cap-joint, Fig. 5 is the wooden pac-king to surround the stem of the key to keep it in place and render the joint t-ight. l The same letters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

Engineers have not hitherto been able to construct armetallic stop cock that will for any great length of time remain completely water tight when constantly used for draw` ing off and stopping hot water under great pressure, because, however well the parts may be proportioned and fitted together, the erosive action of hot water very soon renders the surface of the stopper, and its seat, irregular, which prevents their coming together, and of course leaves a passage open through which the water leaks out, and the passage for the leak being once begun, is rapidly enlarged by the current of wat-er which accelerates the corrosion of the metal, probably by carrying away the particles of oxid, partly by its mechanical action, andl in part by solution as fast as formed, and thus constantly exposing a fresh surface to be acted on. Depositions of earthy and saline matter upon the stopper and its seat also obstruct their coming together. thus constituting another frequent cause of leaka e.

gThe accuracy with which a metallic stopper must be fitted, requires that it should be ground into its seat, which is always a tedious and expensive operation.

For the stopper of the screw key c'ock, I have discovered, that wood is cheaper, more durable, will keep tight longer, and is more easily repaired than any other substance heretofore employed for this purpose, capable of resisting the solvent and softening action of hot water.

In the` accompanying drawingsfthe injectionpipem) and discharge'pipe '(6) lare con-y @nected with the hollow. ball 'or globeinfthe usual manner. The; globe is divided into two hemispheres (a: and d) which are 44screwed together with a flat ring of wood .-(e) between them, to render the joint tight. This globular expansion, is for the purpose of forming a recess (r) to receive the stopper, and allow of its working up and down to open and close the passage for the water. To the top of the upper half (c) of the ball, a stuiing box is attached, through which the stem of the screw key passes the joints being kept tight by another ring of 'wood (f) which surrounds the stem (g) and is held in place by the follower (it) in c which a female screw is made to receive they male screw on the stem, which being turnedl by the cross handle (i) in one direction forces the stopper `(7c) down upon its seat, 1

while turning it in the other direction allows it torise, and the water to escape through the pipe. I prefer to make the stopper of compact hard wood in the form of a short cylinder with flatl ends; on the upper side of the stopper (k) 'a washer (Z) is placed,-

which consists of a disk, from the middle of the upper side of which a stem projects that fits loosely into a cavity in the axis of stopper (lo) gets injured, or ceases to perj form properly, its appropriate functions, any ordinary workman canreadily cut out from a board another piece to replace it and in this way keep the cock in a state of complete repair.

l1f the wooden stopper were fastened to loog` the end of the stem of the key, the abrasion against its seat, when being turned up and this abrasion the stopper and washer are' `bot-h independent of the stem of thekey,

which exerts direct pressure upon them without any twisting motion, vthat would cause abrasion. This arrangement is an essential conditiongwhen la wooden stopper is used,

down, would rapidly destroy it; to prevent i and the superior durability and eiiciency of the stopper may be pressed down upon its 15 this kind of stopper is mainly attributable seat by the stem Without turning-whereby to its capability of making a tight joint the cost and difficulty of making, and keepwhen compressed by direct pressure upon an `ing it in repair is lessened, and its dura- 5 irregular surface in this manner. bility and eiiciency increased as herein set 

